Tonight
by haunted-eternity
Summary: Tonight they'll be whoever they like. Hollis/Gibbs


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Song used is Tonight by Kate Walsh.

* * *

_You don't know about me  
And you don't care what affair still haunts me  
And you don't know what it is about me  
And I don't care, I don't care if you love me_

He always has a dark shadow cast upon him. It's what drew her to him, well one of the reasons. But when she pushed, he didn't give, he had always changed the subject and was withdrawn the rest of the night. She figured his team knew, that Ducky and Abby knew. She didn't really speak with the Director, but with the way he looks at her, she assumes she knows too. But he has never mentioned his past with her, never said why he retired a few months ago.

_Tonight we'll be whoever we like  
Tonight we'll leave our troubles behind  
Tonight in each other we'll hide  
Tonight will be alright..._

He always comes over late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Never ringing her so she could buzz him in, for some reason he always catches a person leaving and sneaks in without her knowledge. Until a quiet, unsure knocking awakes her. After all, a Lt Colonel in the Army has to be a light sleeper, just like she knows he is from being a Marine sniper. When she greets him at the door her eyes are always sleep filled, her lace nightgown askew and her hair is mused, but as he steps into her, that isn't on her mind anymore. The only thing on her mind when he kisses her like that is if they are going to actually make it to the bed tonight.

_And I don't know about you  
And I don't care about the girl behind you  
And I don't know what it is about you  
It makes me want to run and jump inside you_

Never giving up a lot of information about himself she looks into his NCIS personnel files and gathers information from watching him and his surroundings. She knows he feels at ease with his team. They have built a connection over the past year, and he carries himself a little more freely around them. But he feels most at ease with the forensics expert, Abby, his surrogate daughter, she thinks fondly. He's always gentle with her. The only one he can't read him with is the Director. They are guarded around her, it's always awkward for her, but they do try to include her, even if she doesn't get the looks they are sending each other, or the things she says that makes him smirk. She doesn't understand their relationship but she knows that he is faithful to the ones he cares about, and that's really the only thing that matters.

_Tonight in each other we'll hide  
_

_Tonight we'll leave our troubles behind  
Tonight we'll be whoever we like  
Tonight, tonight will be alright..._

When they go to his house they always end up in his basement, him sanding away his boat, and her watching from the work bench. She doesn't get the boat's name, Kelly, but she figures it means something to him. She watches him work, all the worry and stress of the day disappears with each swift stroke of the sandpaper against the grain of the wood. He is a different person when he is alone with no one demanding anything from him, which she is grateful for. She watches him as he pours bourbon into a mason jar. He has a far away smile on his face as he lifts the jar to his lips. She doesn't question it, but can't get over the fact she can't stand bourbon. The good thing about coming to the basement was it was cold, an excuse for her to say she needed to be warmed up, and as corny as that makes them, he always agrees he could always keep her warm.

_You don't understand why my heart feels bad  
From the love you hold out in your hand  
And you offer it without command  
I just don't know why I can't get you inside,  
Why I need you tonight..._

He said that he was ready to start a relationship. She knew that he was committed to his job, and that was his main priority. Everything else came second to him. She knew that he was also committed to her as well, but when his ex came into a case, she knew he was hiding something big from her. His ex had known his secret, the Director had known, even his team. But she had to interrogate Ducky in order to find out what the big secret was. She felt a mix of emotions, and he caught her with the information. He didn't understand why she needed to know, to him their relationship was too new. But he put it behind him and took her out to dinner that night.

_Cause you don't know about me,  
And you don't care how this affair will break me.  
And why should I care about you, if you don't care,  
You don't care that i love you?_

They hadn't kept it a secret, but they did hide it. She couldn't help but think why, but realizes that it doesn't matter. As long as they are together, that's all she needs. The secret may be weighing her down, but she knows that when she is all alone with him in his basement she can pretend that everyone knows and everyone approves. Their secret affair will continue as long as they can handle it, which she hopes will be longer than his last relationship with the unnamed red head with the Mercedes Ducky was telling her about.


End file.
